We are committed to ensuring IWM London is accessible to all visitors, and hope the facilities we have introduced enhance your visit.

Access Guides

Our Access Guide to IWM London (PDF) contains a sensory map and information on the types and locations of accessible resources available at the museum to help you plan your visit. Physical copies are available upon request at the Information Desk.

We have partnered with AccessAble to create an accessibility guide to each floor of IWM London.  

Museum entry

Main Entrance

  • What3Words: ///fluid.bulb.rear
  • The Main Entrance has 9 steps leading up to the door. There are 2 handrails alongside the steps.
  • Once inside, there are 3 steps up to the shop.

Step-free access

  • The West Entrance has step-free access.
  • What3words: ///dairy.chef.full
  • When facing the naval guns, the West Entrance, can be found to the right of the building. Follow the path past the café, alongside the building.

Admission

  • For everyone's safety, all bags, rucksacks, packages, and personal items may be searched before entry.
  • Wheeled cases, sports equipment, and large luggage items are not allowed in the museum.
  • Lockers are available by the Main Entrance. A £1 coin is needed to operate the lockers (refunded). Locker token coins can be purchased from the shop.

Gallery information

  • Seating is available on levels 0, 2, 3 and 5. It is also available in The Holocaust Galleries.

  • A limited number of folding stools are available to borrow from:

    Information desk (level 0), the Second World War Galleries (level 1).

    The Holocaust Galleries (level 2).

    Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries (level 3).

  • Some galleries are presented in low light for effect, particularly in the First World War Gallery. Please take care when moving around.
  • All galleries and exhibitions have level access but there are some gentle slopes.
  • Please ask a member of staff if you wish to use a First Aid room or require assistance.

Quiet Room

  • A Quiet Room is available on level 1 which can be used for quiet reflection, to pray, to support personal management of mental health, or for people with sensory needs.
  • The space may also be used by people affected by the content displayed in our galleries. 

For wheelchair users and people with impaired mobility

  • A limited number of manual wheelchairs are available for loan, free of charge.

    Please telephone us 020 7416 5000 (Monday to Friday) to reserve a wheelchair at least one week in advance of your visit.

    Wheelchairs not pre-booked in advance, may be available on the day on a first-come, first-served basis.

  • Step-free access to the museum is via the West Entrance.
  • All lifts in the museum are wheelchair accessible. Most lifts have braille signage.

  • There are two designated parking bays for blue badge holders (located off Brook Drive, behind IWM London). Please telephone 020 7416 5000 (Monday to Friday) to reserve a space at least one week before your visit.

    You will need to let us know your car model, car registration number, estimated time of arrival to IWM London, and a contact phone number so that we can book you in. All parking is subject to availability.

  • Gender-neutral accessible toilets can be found on levels 0 and 3.

  • There is a gender-neutral Changing Places toilet on level 0, close to the male public toilet. A radar key is needed to access the Changing Places toilet.

    The key can be obtained from the information desk on level 0.

    The facility is not staffed and users must bring their own slings.

    The maximum weight limit of the hoist is 200kg. Operating instructions are displayed inside the room.

For blind and partially sighted visitors

  • We are temporarily unable to provide our audio descriptive tours. We are working on a tour for the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries which will be available on our website and Bloomberg app soon.

  • Information points with tactile maps are available in:

    First World War Gallery | Located at the beginning of the gallery

    Second World War Gallery | located at the beginning and halfway through the gallery

    The Holocaust Gallery | located at the beginning and halfway through the gallery

    Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries.

  • Tactile objects and information in Braille are available in:

    Second World War Gallery

    The Holocaust Gallery

  • Large print guides are available for the First World War, Second World War, Holocaust Galleries, and Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries.

For deaf and hearing-impaired visitors

  • Information Points that display a short introductory film in British Sign Language (BSL) are available in:

    First World War Gallery | Located at the beginning of the gallery

    Second World War Gallery | Located at the beginning and halfway through the gallery

    The Holocaust Gallery | Located at the beginning and halfway through the gallery

    Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries

  • Induction loops and videos with BSL interpretation available in:

    Second World War Gallery

    The Holocaust Gallery

  • Induction loops and BSL interpretation are available on all films (except for the Art Box and silent film) in the Blavatnik Art, Film and Photography Galleries.
  • Videos are accompanied by English subtitles throughout the museum.

If you have any queries or would like to discuss any access issues please contact us

Assistance animals

We hope that everyone who visits IWM enjoys their experience and are committed to welcoming and embracing the diversity of our guests and ensuring accessibility for everyone. 

We understand that some visitors will require the support of an assistance dog and we are happy to admit trained assistance dogs. 

Where possible, we encourage assistance dog owners to bring identification from organisations such as:

  • Assistance Dogs International (ADI)
  • Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK)
  • The International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF)

We also ask that assistance dogs wear the appropriate tabard or harness. Not carrying ID or wearing a jacket is not a condition of entry but can help visitors by enabling staff to identify those who may need additional assistance. In cases where your assistance dog is not registered with ADI, ADUK, or IGDF, please understand that if it demonstrates inappropriate behaviour, we reserve the right to deny entry to ensure the safety and comfort of our staff, volunteers, and visitors. 

If you plan to bring more than one assistance dog or have multiple assistance dogs within your group, we request that you contact us in advance. This will help us ensure there are no delays in gaining access and we can meet the needs of the entire party.

For those intending to visit us with an assistance animal other than a dog, please contact us in advance to discuss your request. This is so that we can ensure there are no delays to your admission and we are able to facilitate your visit.

Water bowls can be provided at the café.

Animal safety at our branches 

Our branches are unique and historical spaces. They are unusual environments which can confuse or distress animals. 

The accessibility pages for each of our branches contain more details on what you can expect and can help you in identifying any potential areas of concern prior to your visit. We also offer AccessAble guides for all our branches and our customer service centre can answer any questions you may have.

Contact Customer Services on: 0207 091 3067 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm UK time) or via our contact us form.